Bhubaneswar, May 20: Compared to the first four months of 2010, there has been a fall in the overall crime rate in the corresponding period this year. However, cases of murder, dacoity, robbery, swindling and rioting have increased during the same period in the capital city.

Sources said the overall criminal incidents in the first four months of 2010 was 1,571 compared to 1,480 in 2011, a decline of nearly 5.8 per cent.

City police officers say the decrease in crime rate is the result of better policing. “Speedy and effective patrolling using police control room vehicles and deployment of cops at various sensitive points have resulted in crime rate going down,” said R.N. Nayak, public relation officer of city police.

The officers also credited the high rate of detection of criminal incidents in the previous year for the decrease in overall crime rate.

Significantly, however, crime rates showed an increasing trend in the first three months this year with 335 cases in January, 379 in February and 401 in March. But it decreased marginally in April with 365 cases reported in capital city. A senior police officer said usually crime rate increased in the first three months and either dipped or stayed at the same level.

“This time in April it has come down by nearly 10 per cent. The credit goes to the new police control room that has been serving people exceptionally well. The control room and PCR vans have kept the crime rate under control,” he said.

But the officers refused to comment on the increase in crimes such as, murder, dacoity, robbery, swindling and rioting during this period.

Compared to 2010, in the first four months of this year, incidents of murder has increased by 18 per cent, dacoity 50 per cent, robbery 55 per cent, swindling 82 per cent and rioting 12 per cent.

A senior police officer said murder could not be prevented but kept quiet when asked about increase in cases of dacoity and robbery. Sociologists said increase in crime rate was the result of growing urbanisation.

“People here are getting more materialistic and that leads to the increase in crime,” said sociologist D.N. Jena.

He also said criminals were getting smarter than the police as more educated youths were taking to crime.

“The police must adopt more sophisticated methods to curb crime,” he added.